Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-24
ON THE ROAD TO MONTERREY.
Experiences Of n Traveller Who 10 Doins
tho Republic Of Mexico.
lSnsacial Cnrresnnndence

Especial Correspondence
MONTEREY, Mex, Sept. 24-"Now, my
dear, we are at last in Mexico" said I
when we wero standing away toward
Monterey, with ell our belongings. "Now
we shall see this wonderful Old country
and make an artistic and political study
of it,"
''Do you mean to say that Laredo is not
Mexicof'
why, OF course, You ought to know
that it is only n border town.
II am not so ignorant as all that Ed
ward, and think you are very unkind to
try to tease me. If Laredo is not Mexico
what are I'LL the Mcxicans doing there,
and who built the houses, and where is
the boundary liner You know very well
that there must be one, for you always
say that there always has to be line
drawn somewhere and the only one I
saw, and assure you am more ohserv-
ing than you think, sir, was on the ont
skirts Of Laredo on the other side So nov!
1t had spikes all along il. So the er'
am wise man in my generation, and
l never try to argue with the little w.
man, and leaned over and pretended I
was going to sleep, for the cars ere com
Portable and the road is good, but she had
srnelt the battle and had some more 10
say, when she found lack Of reciprocity
on my part to her arguments, among them
being the cart and Mexican baby.
We looked out at the landscape, which
consisted, for the most part, of dry and
unpleasant looking but arabic, land, Il
there was only supply of water. Indeed.
the lack of water will always be q great
drawback to Mexico. The costly and
splendid machinery which has been taken
there to assist IN the development Of the
| country through manufactures has
| proved almost useless on account Of the
scarcity of water. In time artesian wciis
may do some good, but it would be & very
expensive experiment.
We passed many small ranches, with
low adobe houses, with the usual accom-.
paniment of lettering men, fat and not
entirely ugly women, half naked children,
! dogs, chickens and mu3tangs; where no
attempts at planting shade trees or even
vines were ever made. AT few you could
see garden patch, with few cabbages.
few calabasas or squashcs, and some
chilis, with their vivid scarlet in pretty
| contrast At a few Of tho places there
were laborers stepping lazily scout on a
pile of dried beans to tread them from
| their shells. Once in while an OK or u
mule would be employed for tho same
purpose. Here and there were strings If
beef hung along clothes line to dry in
the hot sun. This beef is delicioua not
salt nor smoked, but just torn from the
freshly killed carcass and hung up at once
to dry. The natural salt Of the mea. suf.
fees to cure it, and there is no waste Of
| nutriment at all, and carno SEGA is to my
mind the most excellent and compact fon!
possible to carry, and never travel with.
out having supply In my pocket. also
carry an ounce of the best tea, and when
weary pinch Of that well p:asticated has
as good an effect as cup of tea, when
you cannot get that. and prevents many u
headache. This is not the first voyage |
have made, by the way, and have proved
the value of both.
An old gentleman who was going on to
Saltillo to visit some friends, and who was
CT the statistical sort, came and sat down
by us, as we were the only English speak
ing persons in the car, except two English
mon, who wo,iltln talk to him. He
unfolded big paper and from there read
MS list Of prices of ordinary provisions
oil through Mexico the price, he said,
varying slightly, but always being tho
dearest wherever you were.
'Ycs, Sir and madam" he said, Amer.
lean ham costs 10 to so cents per pound.
Salt 10 worth ten times as much as ut
home. The best sugar obtainablc, and
poor, is III cents; fresh beef, 13 to Is
cents; lard, rs cents; coffee, rs cents; po-
tatoes, S5 cents dozen; kerosene, 81
cents gallon; butter, SO cents to 81 o
pound oh, Lord, what stuG:-flour,
u to IL cents; canned salmon, 81 a can;
Goldfish, Pa cents a pound; mackercl, IS |
cents each, aud No. SIS, every oao Of en-;
cheese, so cents, and milk is 25 cents a |
quart. You will set nothing cheap here
but teans, corn and chilis, madam; and |
ns TO hotels! Well, you'd better Just take |
nu them bandboxes l saw coming along
in single file, and give the contents away,
II you can't get 'em into your trunks. |
They will cost you more than their weight
In gold, madam"
We told the old gentlemen that we in
tended making u thorough tour CT ell The
prominent places in Mexico, cid or new.
"a good idca," be said, but you won't
fnd no American hotels-now here, least
OF oil IL Monterey"
I'VE don't want 10. We are only GOING
TO associate with the natives. My husband
Is IN artist, aud we ere going 10 Set
pictures and lecrnjae language and every
thing, said the little woman In u brssth.
X wish yon Joy, madame, much joy"
But lie didn't look us IL he thought she
would find much 10Y l;inZ, around in